| Early Bird Ends in in 24 Hours! |
including the tentative workshop schedule, here.
The AERO early bird conference rate ends tomorrow at midnight PST. We'd really like to at least have deposits from all who intend to attend. It's very hard to plan when everything piles in on us at the end. We're also lagging a little behind last year's registration rate. So even though the conference is a month later this year, and we go through this every year, it would help us greatly if you could at least send an email saying you intend to register (just reply to the newsletter and we'll get it). If you do we'll hold this rate for you for a month.
ALSO, please spread the word about the AERO conference to your personal networks. If you all did this we could certainly stop worrying, because a large number of people who hear about the AERO conference really want to come. This year's conference, celebrating AERO's 25th anniversary, looks like it will be our best ever!
Remember, those registering in the next 24-hours only will also get a six month AERO membership or extension (see below).
Dorm Room Crunch
Because other groups will be on campus with us this year there may be a limited number of dorm rooms available and they may run out of them. So as soon as you register or even before you should reserve your dorm room. It's not $300 a night, as are some of the hotels around the NYC area, but only $55 for a bed in a double, and $65 for a single room.
For those who need a hotel or who have children or school groups 11 or under we have reserved a block of rooms for you. You must reserve these yourself. Here's the info on that:
" We have made special arrangements with the nearby Econolodge and will provide daily transportation to and from the Post/LIU campus. To get the $80 room rate there call (516) 433-3900. Mention that you are going to the AERO conference. Of course all children can attend the conference and we are providing child care for those who need it."
Schedule, Reserve Workshops
Last year some of the workshop spaces were overcrowded so this year we are generally limiting them to 40 participants with only those who have reserved in advance getting the last few seats. So check the tentative schedule now and let us know which workshops you'd really like to be sure to go to. You must be registered to reserve them.
School Visit Update
We've started reserving spots for people who want to visit Brooklyn Free School, Manhattan Free School and Pono in Manhattan on June 25th. There are presently some openings for all three but they may fill up soon. Let us know which you would like to sign up for. You must be registered to reserve a space.
REGISTER NOW!
If you look at the list of 60 workshops, you'll see many people there who might otherwise be keynoters, such as Peter Gray who keynoted last year, and Don "Four Arrows" Jacobs who has previously keynoted AERO conferences and will come from Mexico.
Don't forget to register this week!
Special AERO Rate for Avis Rental Car
Several years ago an unknown AERO member signed us up for a corporate account with Avis, giving us big discounts and free days based on usage. I just contacted the company and they said it would be fine for us to extend the benefit to people in the AERO network, especially to those coming to the AERO conference. But actually anyone in our network could use it. It gives you 30% discounts, free upgrades and other perks. Make sure you also mention AAA, AARP, etc. I just used it on my trip to California and got a better rate than anything I could find on Expedia, etc. AERO's Avis Worldwide Discount (AWD) Number is S046293.
Also, here is the link to get $50 off long term (more than 30 days) rental. And here is the link to get a free upgrade.
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List of schools taking in students who opt-out
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As we did last year, Monty Neill of FairTest has strongly endorsed the idea of AERO network schools offering their schools and programs as places to go for people opting out of the tests. Of course this could also work well for them as people discover our alternatives.
If you can offer refuge to people opting out of the test, please email me at [email protected] so we can add you to the list. People will be asked to contact you first to see if you have space. We will automatically include your school's name on this year's list if you were previously included as a courtesy. If you'd prefer not to appear on the list this year, please let us know.
We already have almost 50 schools on the list, but the link below will bring you to a continuously updated list. If you are a parent and don't see an AERO school near you, write to us directly and we'll suggest one. Generally almost all of our schools would be willing to help with this.
From FairTest: Testing Resistance & Reform Spring (TRRS) unites activists engaged in grassroots boycotts, rallies, opt-out organizing, town hall forums, petition drives and legislative campaigns.
We have a new, action-oriented website that provides resources you can use: http://www.resistthetest.org. It includes a mapping tool that makes it easy for parents, students, teachers and community organizers to post and find local actions anywhere in the United States. We invite you to use this website to build your campaign and connect with likeminded people across the nation. We can post your event to the event map if you prefer, or help you do so. (Contact us at [email protected].) |
| Book Review by Chris Mercogliano |
Wendy Priesnitz's recent post on the science behind unschooling was so widely read that I decided it would be good to follow up with a review of two excellent companion books on unschooling that recently came out. The Legacy of John Holt: A Man Who Genuinely Understood, Trusted, and Respected Children fleshes out the man who coined the term "unschooling" in the first place and served as the movement's unofficial leader until he died in 1985. A collection of deeply personal recollections by many of those closest to him, The Legacy of John Holt gives the reader a wonderfully intimate window into John Holt the person. The introduction, interestingly, is by someone who never met Holt and yet counts him as one of her most formative teachers as she navigated a graduate degree in education and went on to wrangle in her own way with the disaster that public education in this country has become. Kirsten Olsen, the author of Wounded by School and Schools As Colonizers, notes that Holt's books no longer occupied the stacks of the Harvard education library when she was a student there. And yet that didn't stop her from trying to find ways to infiltrate conventional schooling with Holt's deep wisdom about children and how they learn best. |
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News, Resources, & Calendar
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Do you have a news or resource item you think Education Revolution newsletter readers would find useful? Send it to [email protected].
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Thank you for your ongoing support. With your help, we will make learner-centered alternatives available to everyone!
Sincerely,
Jerry Mintz
Executive Director
Alternative Education Resource Organization
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The Ten Signs You Need to Find a Different Kind of Education for Your Child
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Many parents don't realize that the education world has changed drastically since they were in school. Schools and class sizes used to be smaller, dropout rates lower, in-school violence almost unheard of, and teachers weren't terrified of showing affection to their students, or of discussing moral values. Of course, even then, school was far from perfect, but at least the teachers-and usually the principal-knew every student by name, something that is increasingly rare today.
Because our public school system has deteriorated considerably, many parents, teachers, and individuals have taken it upon themselves to create public and private alternatives to that system; and it is important for parents to know that they now have choices.
So how do you know that it's time to look for another educational approach for your child? Here are some of the signs:
1. Does your child say he or she hates school?
If so, something is probably wrong with the school. Children are natural learners, and when they're young, you can hardly stop them from learning. If your child says they hate school, listen to them.
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